Will we Age? Yes. Grow old? Let's not. I think that ageless philosopher, Satchel Paige, had it about right when he asked, "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you was? This is a "magazine" blog comprised of stuff that interests me and I hope interests some of you, too.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Blues Singer's Woman Permitted To Tell Her Side

Ida Mae Dobbs, longtime woman of Blind Willie "Skipbone" Jackson,Sent me a letter to respond to charges levied against her by the legendary Delta blues singer.

"Despite what Mr. Jackson would have you believe, I am not an evil-hearted woman who will not let him be. I repeat: I am not an evil-hearted woman who will not let him be. To the contrary, my lovin' is so sweet, it tastes just like the apple off the tree. I was also accused of causing him pain and breaking his heart by calling out another man's name, I categorically deny treating him in a low-down manner.

"He say he send for his baby, but I don't come around, He say he sends for his baby, but I don't come around. Well, the truth is, I do come, but he is out messing with every gal in town. He compared me to a dresser because he say someone is always going through my drawers.

"My drawers have not been gone through by any man but Blind Willie "Skipbone" Jackson," Dobbs said. "Neither Slim McGee nor Melvin Brown has ever been in my drawers. Nor has Sonny 'Spoonthumb' Perkins, nor any of those other no-good jokers down by the railroad tracks. My policy has always been to keep my drawers closed to everyone but Mr. Jackson, as I am his woman and would never treat him so unkind."

“He say I open with my sweet-potato-pie distribution, my pie is available only to Blind Willie “Skipbone Jackson. I do not give out my sweet potato pie arbitrarily, as I am not the sort of no-good doney who engage in such behavi0r. Only one man can taste my sweet potato pie, and I believe I have made it perfectly clear to him who that man is. The same thing with my biscuits, which cain’t be buttered except by him.”

“He always say I be running around town with other men, ain’t no truth to it. He treat me so bad. One time he got me arrested for attempted homicide. In 1998, I had to call the ambulance on him. He rushed to the hospital and nearly died on me. He drunk nearly a coffee cup full of gasoline. Said I tried to by him by serving him a glass of gas when he when he asked for water. If I did that it was an accident."

Dobbs describes herself, a short-dress, big-legged woman from Coahoma County, said it is not she but Jackson who should be forced to defend himself. According to Dobbs, Jackson frequently has devilment on his mind, staying up until all hours of the night rolling dice and drinking smokestack lightning.

"Six nights out of seven, he goes off and gets his swerve on while I sit at home by myself. Then he comes knocking on my door at 4 a.m., expecting me to rock him until his back no longer has any bone," Dobbs said. "Is that any way for a man to treat his woman? I don't want to, but if he keeps doing me wrong like this, I am going to take my lovin' and give it to another man."

Added Dobbs: "Skipbone Jackson is going to be the death of me."

Dobbs said that until she receives an apology from Jackson and a full retraction of all accusations, he will not be given any grinding.

"Mr. Jackson says that I stay out all night and that I'm not talking right. He says he has rambling on his mind as a result of my treating him so unkind. He says I want every downtown man I meet and says they shouldn't even let me on the street," Dobbs said. "Well, I refuse to allow my name to be dragged through the mud like this any longer. Unless my man puts an end to these unfair attacks on my character, I will neither rock nor roll him to the break of dawn. I am through with his low-down ways."